


Indelible

by buttsbeyondbutts



Series: Wolfstar Fix Fics [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Black Family, First War with Voldemort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Suspicions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 09:31:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13544538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttsbeyondbutts/pseuds/buttsbeyondbutts
Summary: Regulus Black comes to a decision.





	Indelible

  The werewolf wasn’t long for this world. His breath came in ragged gasps and he’d given up on escape. Instead he lay on the stone floor, curled slightly in on himself, waiting to die.

He’d have to wait a while, if Regulus knew Bellatrix. She was mad, yes, absolutely barmy on whatever the Dark Lord had done to her, but she wasn’t impractical. Even now, she was certainly preparing a restorative potion to keep Remus Lupin alive until he gave her what she wanted.

He would too. If Bella’s tender attentions didn’t do the job, she’d break out the veritaserum. Whatever Lupin knew, Bellatrix would learn before she allowed him to die.

“Blast it,” Regulus muttered. He pushed through the cell door and rolled Lupin onto his back. The Half Blood winced and groaned softly. Brown eyes flickered open and finally focused on him.

For a moment, he looked relieved. “Siri-“

Regulus silenced him. Lupin blinked at him and suddenly frowned. His lips moved, forming Regulus’s name without sound. Regulus rolled his eyes. School boy fucking grudges.

He glanced back at the door. Bellatrix could return at any moment. He’d have to be quick. He gripped Lupin’s shoulder, ignoring the wetness of the wound and Lupin’s writhing, and apparated.

Lupin landed with a crash on the dust covered floor. He screamed silently as Regulus stood. He glanced around, making sure the safe house was indeed still safe. It’d be a pity to lose it but the decision had been made.

He turned back to Lupin. Regulus had never cared much for healing magic but growing up with Walburga Black provided certain experiences. With a flick of his wand, he closed the worst of Lupin’s wounds. The werewolf stilled, staring at him with undisguised confusion. Regulus turned and walked into the feeble kitchen. There was no food, this wasn’t a place for habitation, but he kept a small stock of potions there. Another waste that couldn’t helped.

Returning, he knelt next to Lupin and pulled out the stopper with his teeth. Lupin stared at the bottle warily. “For the pain,” Regulus said. The wolf clamped his stubborn mouth shut and glared at the bottle. “Fine.” Regulus said and returned the potion to the cupboard.

Lupin had sat up when he returned. He pushed himself back as Regulus approached. With a deep sigh, Regulus undid the silencing charm. “Alright, wolf, where is my brother?”

“Fuck you,” Lupin spat.

“I don’t have time for this.” Regulus said. “I know you’re living together. Give me an address and I’ll apparate you back.”

“Give me my wand. I’ll go myself.”

Regulus snorted. “Bellatrix muted your magic, you fool. Didn’t you wonder why you couldn’t defend yourself? You haven’t the strength to apparate.”

“Give me my wand, Death Eater.” He demanded again.

Regulus fought the urge to curse him again. He tossed the Cyprus stick down to the werewolf who scrambled to retrieve it and point a curse at his savior. Nothing happened.

“Finished?” Regulus asked. “The potion should wear off in a few hours but you’re not staying here while it does. Tell me where to take you.”

Lupin hesitated, biting down on his lip. He wasn’t quite horrifying to look at really. When Regulus first learned of his brother’s relationship with the werewolf, he’d been disgusted. Yet, as he glowered at Regulus in the dim light of the safe house, there was an impressive fire about Remus Lupin. His scarred face was even with passable angles. Regulus could… appreciate the attraction, even if he’d never share it.

“Why are you doing this?” Lupin asked in a harsh whisper. “What do you want?”

“That doesn’t matter. Bellatrix would have broken you, learned whatever you know about Dumbledore’s Order, and killed you.”

“What do you care? She’s your cousin. You’re Death Eaters.”

Regulus shrugged. “I’ve given you enough tonight, wolf. Be content with your life.”

“Why?”

He sighed deeply. There was no help for it. “My brother is impetuous. I’m sure you’ve noticed how rashly he acts when his friends. To lose his-” Regulus tsked irritably, “I don’t know what you call yourselves. To lose you might push him over the edge.” Lupin colored slightly and Regulus knew his point was won.

Still he continued; “He’d likely run in, half-cocked, and get himself killed.”

“You hate Sirius.” Lupin said, but he could hear the doubt.

Regulus shrugged. “Blood is everything. Even if Sirius can’t understand that, I do. Black blood must be avenged, even when another Black spills it. Even you can see the inconvenience such an event would cause me. I merely rectified the situation before it could progress.”

Lupin believed him. “London,” He said. “Across from the Warren Street tube station.”

“And if I don’t wish to Apparate into a street full of muggles with a bleeding werewolf?”

Lupin scowled. “Number 44, Camden Lane. Flat 2B.”

“Of course.” Regulus took his arm and disapparated.

The flat was more of a hovel than anything else, with an over grown garden of mostly weeds. Lupin immediately relaxed in Regulus’s grip. Sirius was within, shouting at someone. The werewolf started forward but turned back in the same instant.

“Regulus… thank you.” He paused, weighing his options. “Come inside. We can offer you protection. Dumbledore will-”

“Enough, half blood.” Regulus snapped. The nerve of the dog, the sheer bloody nerve to speak of protection as if he hadn’t just saved his miserable life. Remus Lupin flinched as he raised his wand. “Obliviate.”

The werewolf stumbled as the last three hours were ripped from his mind. He fell back onto the pavement, clutching his head, and Regulus disappeared.

Bellatrix howled when she saw him. “Where is the blasted wolf, Reggie?” She slammed him back against the wall. “You were meant to be watching him.”

“I was!” Regulus struggled but ultimately allowed her to keep him pinned. Bella’s nails pierced through his robes like claws. “I followed him but the beast slipped away from me!”

“How?!” She screamed. “I took his magic! You took his wand! How did he escape?”

“I don’t know,” He blinked hard, still squirming in her grip. “You saw how he healed! His magic doesn’t work like a human’s.”

Bella snarled but relaxed a fraction of her grip. “Curse the dog. Tell me exactly what happened.”

Regulus shivered. “I thought it was dead. He stopped moving when you went to get the potion. I wanted to make sure and he… lunged at me. It-”

But Bella had already softened. She pushed his hair back behind his ear and trailed her fingers down his cheek. “Still so young,” she murmured. “Baby Black.”

Regulus nodded. “I’m sorry.”

She stepped back, letting him off the wall. She glanced around the dungeon, as if she might have simply overlooked the half dead werewolf. She sighed softly, annoyed. “The Dark Lord has shown mercy for more. I must follow in His example. Come along.”

“Thank you, Bella.” Regulus swallowed. He followed her up into the manor.  

* * *

 

Sirius left Remus asleep in the bedroom. Lily had brewed a fresh pot of tea. She handed him a mug as he slumped down at the table. “How is he?”

“Sleeping,” Sirius said. “Thanks, Lil.”

She didn’t chastise him for the nickname, just patted his hair affectionately.

“He didn’t remember anything else?” Peter asked, twitching a little. “About how he got here?”

Sirius shook his head. “Nothing. Just Bellatrix torturing him and then waking up in the garden. Whoever got him out must have obliviated him.”

 _Or he’s lying._ Sirius hated himself for the thought but there it was. _He’s not lying. He’s Moony. I know when he’s lying._

_Unless he’s been lying to me for ages._

He shoved the thought down and drained his tea.

“Why would they help him and erase the memory?” Lily asked. She glanced back through the hallway and frowned.

Before anyone could speculate, James bustled in. “Bandages,” he said, placing the small parcel on the table. “How’s Remus?”

“Asleep. Healing.” _Please god._ “What did Dumbledore say?”

“Wants to see him when he’s better.” He shed his coat and sat down across from Sirius. Lily brought him a cup of tea and he kissed her hand.

“He’s been obliviated.” Sirius said, annoyed at how in love the Potters had to be all the time. “He doesn’t remember how he got out.”

“Yeah, that’s what I told Dumbledore.” James agreed. “I think it’s... you know, werewolf business.”

“He wasn’t with the werewolves when they took him!” Sirius said, anger mounting.

“I know.” James said, shaking his head. “But he hadn’t given his report yet, after the moon. Dumbledore wants-”

“Sod Dumbledore.” Sirius said. It was easy, comfortable to be angry at the Headmaster. It was certainly better than second guessing about Remus. The old man didn’t give a shit who got hurt, so long as he got his damned victory.

“Moony usually delivers his reports immediately.” Peter mused. “Wonder what happened.”

Sirius stood. He’d go mad if he had to listen to any more speculation. Bad enough he had to listen to his own head without Peter wondering about things. “I’m gonna check on him.”

Lily poured another mug of tea and shoved a plate of scones into his hands. “Make him eat, Padfoot,” she ordered with a worried smile. “Promise?”

He nodded and she squeezed his hand softly.

Remus was awake when he came in. He smiled at Sirius, tired and beautiful.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better.” He looked at the scones. “Are those for me?”

“Yeah, Lily insisted.” He sat down, setting the plate on the nightstand and handing Remus his mug. “Do you remember-”

“Nothing,” Remus said with a shake of his head. “Sorry. Wish I did.”

“Don’t.” He took his hand. “I’m just glad you’re back. I was losing my mind.”

“How could you tell?”

“Funny,” Sirius said without laughing. He kissed Remus, gentle as he could. There had been hard, desperate kissing when Remus had collapsed in the garden, wounds reopening from exertion. Bellatrix knew how to make a hurt stick. Even magic couldn’t keep her marks at bay for long. They had to resort to muggle dressings and wait for Remus’s body to regain its strength. Sirius had kissed him because he was frightened, because he didn’t know what else to do.

He still didn’t.

“Come here?” Remus said in a small voice. Sirius nodded. He climbed over the bed, maneuvering himself behind Remus, wrapping his arms around him.

“You have to eat or Lily will murder me,” he said. He breathed in deep, letting the scent of Remus fill him. The scent of home.

“You too.” Remus said. “We’ll get crumbs in the bed.”

“We’ll clean it,” Sirius promised. He handed Remus a scone and watched him bite into it, sighing softly. How could he ever doubt this man? How could Remus ever be anything other than his Moony, who worried about crumbs in the bed and insisted Sirius got something to eat?

_How did he get away from Bellatrix?_

“Padfoot? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Sirius swallowed. “Just some… residual worry.”

* * *

 

Remus Lupin meant nothing to The Dark Lord. Regulus knew it. Bellatrix had known it too. She just wanted a chance to play with her cousin’s favorite werewolf uninterrupted.

Regulus hoped Remus had appreciated it, at least until the memory was obliterated from his brain, that his connection with Sirius had saved his life. His fool of a brother had better appreciate it too. Lupin ran about with Greyback, to say nothing of Dumbledore’s merry band of fools. Regulus wouldn’t always be there to save them. He couldn’t save them, if it came to an open-air duel in front of witnesses. The Dark Lord demanded nothing less than absolute loyalty from his followers. Family be damned. Blood be damned.

Regulus stood. His bed was mussed where he’d lain, contemplating how to get his brother out of the country without Sirius knowing it. Kreacher would appear the moment his back was turned and disappear again before Regulus could tell him to leave. The House Elf would follow him to the ends of the earth with a tiny pop.

His parents too, would follow Regulus anywhere so long as he convinced them it was their idea. They required a subtle hand, something Sirius had never been capable of.

His parents weren’t the problem though. Neither was Kretcher. They all behaved exactly as befitted the Pure Blood cause. He’d ensured their safety the moment that damned snake burned itself into his arm. Dumbledore was too noble to go after innocent… relatively innocent family members and Voldemort believed he had the Blacks who mattered firmly in his corner.

 _Perhaps he does._ Regulus crossed quickly to his dresser, opening the bottom drawer where he kept his papers, old school books and other dull bits of personal history a person acquired in their lives. There. He pulled out a weathered photograph, cut out from the Daily Prophet.

GRYFFINDOR WINS HOGWARTS HOUSE CUP

There was James Potter, raising the cup above his head, surrounded by friends and teammates. Sirius’s seventh year, after he ran off to the Potters and Walburga burned his image out of every family photo. In the picture, he threw his head back and laughed again and again, like he hadn’t a care in the world. Regulus could almost hate him for that.

He did hate Sirius. He hated him for leaving. He hated him for constantly needling their parents then acting scandalized when they reacted. He despised that self-righteous bravado that so encapsulated Sirius’s little band of anarchists at school and Dumbledore’s ridiculous Order. Sirius had thrown away every opportunity, every birthright the Heir of Black should crave and demand. He was warped, irrevocably stained. If Gryffindor and his obsession with Muggles didn’t prove that, living with a half blood werewolf certainly did.

He was Regulus’s brother. He was a Black.

Whatever else was true, blood was indelible.  

Regulus shoved the clipping back into his drawer. Saving Remus Lupin would mean nothing if Sirius got himself killed anyway. The longer the war continued, the greater chance that he would.

_Blood is indelible._

_No help for it._ Regulus sighed deeply. _I’m going to have to kill the Dark Lord._

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment.


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